Brothers Repay Center for Hope Hospice’s Kindness with Generosity

By CARYN STARR

February 2, 2017 at 9:57 PM

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The Boyles, proprietors of 16 Prospect Wine Bar & Bistro in Westfield, give back to the Center for Hope Hospice & Palliative Care in gratitude for the care their mother received long ago.Credits: Center for Hope Hospice

SCOTCH PLAINS-WESTFIELD, NJ -- Chris and Tim Boyle were young men back in 1986 and their mother was nearing the end of a long battle with cancer. Tim remembers his mother and entire family finding great solace in the hospice care provided by the Center for Hope Hospice in Scotch Plains.

“In a room full of emotionally overwrought people who can’t make decisions because of all the swirling emotions, it’s crucial to have someone guide you through that,” said Tim. “It’s also so important to have someone tell you what to expect when your loved one is terminally ill and to help you cope with the steps of grief that come later. We were so grateful to have found that with my mother.”

Today, the Boyle brothers own 16 Prospect Wine Bar & Bistro in Westfield, and they show their gratitude to the Center whenever they can, including hosting an annual wine tasting and silent auction with the Center’s Auxiliary. In turn, the Boyles were honored for their generosity at the Center’s yearly gala last fall. Together, these events raised significant funds that support the Center’s Charitable Care Program, which provides, on average, over $2 million in free or reduced cost hospice care to those who need it but lack the means to pay for it.

At this past year’s Gala, Frank Brady, President of the Center for Hope Hospice, said of the Boyles, “Their constant and unwavering support of the Center and our Auxiliary is a constant reminder that our mission of charitable care is as strong now as it was all those years ago when their mother was under our care.”

The Center for Hope Hospice was founded by Father Charles Hudson of Elizabeth, N.J., who recognized the need for hospice care in the community that would ease dying people’s final days and help their loved ones through the process. Today, it is one of New Jersey’s only independent, non-profit, community-based hospice organizations, offering services at its two unique residences -- Father Hudson House in Elizabeth and Peggy’s House in Scotch Plains -- as well as in other healthcare settings or patients’ homes.

Chris Boyle noted that his family’s experience during their mother’s illness also created a meaningful bond with others that helped them through difficult days. “Some of the people who helped us truly understood that sense of life being turned upside down and the range of emotions we were experiencing because they’d been through the same thing. It really made a difference to talk to others who had that firsthand knowledge.”

Of the staff and volunteers at the Center, Tim Boyle added that, “The people there are remarkable; the dedication to their patients and the kindness they extend to the families is amazing. They really helped us see that death is not unnatural or something to be feared but rather, the last great stage of life. For all that, we are so very grateful.”

For more information about The Center for Hope Hospice, Inc. and its hospice, palliative care and bereavement counseling services, visit www.cfhh.org.

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